Vet now or later?

Hello everyone!!

Very new to this site, kinda stumbled onto it when I was looking for answers. It's awesome to know so many people care for feral cats out there

Sorry for the length ahead of time, also I know little to nothing about cats.

My question is about a feral cat at my workplace (a university as a security guard). This is just a guess as I haven't been able to get close enough to be certain but I believe he's a male and either less than a year or just a little over a year old. Just showed up on campus about four months ago. Before I would only catch glimpses of him if I stayed in my car long enough, though about three weeks ago I guess he was so desperate for food that he tried to steal my breakfast when I left it on a table!

So, after that I managed to track him down to where he'd scattered to after I discovered his attempts and managed to give it to him and upon realizing that it was food stopped running and let me give him the rest. Since then I've been feeding him as my schedule permits. Of course being a university it only quiets down on the weekends so that is the only time I manage to spot him and feed him. If he sees me and I call him (named him Topy) he'll meow and then follow me up front to his favorite place and let me feed him.

He'll let me get close enough that I can sit about a foot and half close to him as he eats and put more food down nearby (new accomplishment today ) and then he take a nap a few feet from me while I watch the campus. Then after a few hours he'll wander off.

I say all of that though to say that I totally adore him and someday I would love to give him a much safer home in the house with me. I don't mind him not being a cuddle-bug, or even if I never manage to touch him just if he could keep the same trust he has in me right now. BUT he's really skinny and of course being feral he's probably not the healthiest and if he really is a boy then I don't want him getting hurt trying to mate with some female (if he's really a she I definitely don't want to see more kittens wind up on our campus!) So, I really want to take him to a vet and get him checked out, however, with my living situation right now I can't take him in (it's due to change pretty soon).

Soo should I even attempt to catch him right now? Or wait until I will be able to take him home with me? I'm afraid if I do catch him and get him neutered and updated on shots that he'll lose his trust in me and then he won't let me get close enough to feed him anymore also offsetting any chance of later taking him in. I'm also afraid that there could be something wrong with him that he needs a vet for.

Any advice anyone? I would really appreciate it!

~Z

a more seasoned kittoe veteran will probably be along. but honestly you would be doing a lot better by him and kitties wverywhere by catching him and getting him checked out and fixed. the less breeding and creating more feral cats the better. and in even just a few short months he could sire quite a few litters of littens. ever hear the term hump like bunnies? lol....well i think cats give bunnies a ran for their money! haha. but you nevee know when you might be able to give him a home or if something might come upm there are always unforseen circumstances. not to mention he might completely dislike being indoors and his health might deteriorate and you may have to let him be an outdoor cat. we "adopted" a feral cat in our neighborhood that let me bathe him and came in on very cold winter days and would chase my chihuahua around the yard but he didnt liks being indoors and thats just how he was.

but only you can decide what to do. good luck! hope he does come around and love up on you and make you a nice house kittehhh. =]

How soon-any way to board him or have him live with someone whos done ferals?  Would it matter in your situation if he was caged 24/7 or could be overlooked since your leaving anyway?

I would go ahead and trap as kittens if sex is wrong or disease could be an issue.  See if there is a rescue working the colony(any notched or tipped ears that look prfessionally done and not fight wounds?)

I think alot has to do with what you are able and willing to pay vet and boarding wise.  I have trapped a few cats who got released and few have come around while outside.  2 were REALLY wild and took years and the others were more like your case minus any health issues

@KushMama89

Thank you! True enough about the breeding! I will definitely work on getting him fixed first! I haven't really thought about him not being able to adjust indoors...I suppose I should've though, you're right completely different environment...I would love to just adopt him like that but I don't live nearby T-T. Though from what I just read up on TNR wouldn't be such a bad option for him either I guess. Never really heard of it. The areas not too bad for him at all and I don't believe the school cares either way, suppose I'd need to ask the owners. After I caught him though wouldn't it offset his trust in me? Like he wouldn't want to go near me again because I gave him a bad experience?

@Catsallaround

How soon-any way to board him or have him live with someone whos done ferals?

Don't know anyone in my area who has done ferals at this age. The only ones I know took them in when they were injured or kittens. I'm at a loss since he's at a year old.

Would it matter in your situation if he was caged 24/7 or could be overlooked since your leaving anyway?

I wouldn't want to stress him out like that, plus if I ignore him at work (because yea at work sometimes I actually have something to do lol) and he's still hungry he already yowls like a banshee. I couldn't imagine how much worse he could get in a cage. XD I want to leave on good terms with my roommates.

I wouldn't mind taking him to a vet. lol actually there's a vet office about six businesses down that is my regular vet for my dog. I've been tempted several times to lure Topy there with treats or something XD not that he'd follow me that far. I'd rather pay the arm and leg than find him dead somewhere because of a disease though honestly he does seem healthy enough (minus the starving) and fortunate for him our city is far too dry for insects so we never get fleas or ticks, I've only ever seen mites. When you rereleased the other two did they avoid you from then on?

The female/mother did but she was never ever social she would have kittens and let them play at  neighbors yard.  I moved in got her and then within month her son who was worse. 

I let him out the night of surgery(he was done around 9 am but I still think it is a bad idea in many cases) cause I walked in the quiet area I was holding him in and he was just screaming and ripping at cage bars charging the cage.  I figured I would let him in sunroom and if alert enough right out the door.  I also got called pretty early for his pickup.  He now lets me hold him like a baby and brush him and has been to the vet a few times for random issues/rabies shots and its like a DIFFERENT cat.  I have had him rub cage and let people pet him threw bars.  I know he had some contact around 6-8 weeks then it is unknown but he was outside day and night random times.

Mom comes every so often because she hates dogs.  2 times it has been months apart but she knows me and last time cried a few houses away so put my dog away and went and met her for a pet and food.  She is FAT so getting fed somewhere.  A few businesses are drs offices/dollar stores so I know there are PLENTY of options. 

She has got to be about 10 yo from neighbors memories(they ALL knew the cat who had kittens every few months.  I moved and had her trapped in days of seeing her.  Day we came to move first boxes she was out back and I had some treats in car(lol...a little er kit of a cage/treats/randoms for cats I see.  I feel at least it gets a good meal that day.)

Far as help you may want to put your state on profile and also post a ad on craigslist.  I took in a strangers cats to be spay/neutered and kept them.  some were wild.  To me and many like me it is not a big deal to hold a cat a few days for recovery/evaluation before deciding to release it back out or try a home.  I would get the cat ear tipped so if release happens no one like you goes wondering the same thing of what do i do.